Get to Know a Vendor: Kuhl

by Jacob Gordon

Take a quick glance around Appalachian Outdoors, and it won’t take you long to get to our cool looking Kuhl Outdoor Clothing rack. Without a doubt, they’re own of our top lifestyles brand that helps bring a little bit of mountain styling to your everyday wardrobe.

But who is Kuhl? Where’d they come from? What do they believe in? Well, let’s take a look at what makes Kuhl such a cool company.

History

Kuhl actually got its start in 1983 under a different name: Alfwear. The goal of Alfwear’s founders (John “Alf” Engwall, Conrad Anker, Jay Boyle and Kevin Boyle) was to provide effectively designed pieces for the skiing and mountaineering world. They wanted to provide  products that revolved around the mountain, and that’s exactly what they accomplished with their first product, the Alf Hat (a Peruvian-styled hat featuring polar fleece for extra warmth).

After a tragic car accident claimed Alf Engwall’s life, the three remaining co-founders did their best to grow Alfwear to their best ability. However, in 1989, they all decided to pursue their own endeavors. Conrad Anker went on to become a legendary climber, Jay Boyle earned his MBA and moved to Shanghai, and Kevin Boyle decided to buy Alfwear.

Immediately, Kevin new Alfwear needed to go beyond the Alf Hat; skiers and mountaineers alike needed more than just one hat. Here’s where Kuhl receives it’s official name change and a new product: the Jacquard Jacket. Featuring Euro-styled Polartec fleece construction, the real draw for this midlayer was the thumb-loop cuff system–the first ever piece to include this innovate design. Needless to say, the Jaquard Jacket gained quite the following and help put Kuhl on everyone’s radars.

Since then, Kuhl has continued to increase their offerings in the mountain world, providing great tops to act as midlayers or hang-out pieces after a day on the slopes.

From their beginning to this very day, Kuhl has been independently owned and financed. Just by looking at their product line, you can see how the original co-founders’ passion continues to inspire the Kuhl brand.

Philosophy

Kuhl’s philosophy can be summed up in their two word slogan: mountain grown. But what does that mean, exactly? Every member and contributor to the Kuhl brand comes from an outdoor lifestyle. At every point in the company, Kuhl makes sure their mountain-style belief permeates at every level.

With keeping this mountain-style philosophy true, Kuhl is constantly looking to introduce new technologies and fabrics to make a day on the mountain that much more enjoyable. Whether it’s the high-loft fleece found in the women’s Kuhl Flight Jacket or the unique Alfpaca Fleece of the men’s Kuhl Europa which can’t be found anywhere else, Kuhl tries to push the envelope with ski and mountaineering pieces.

While Kuhl designs every piece to be utilized either in the mountains or backcountry, the styling let the products flourish around town. Kuhl products help bring the mountain to you even if you can’t head out west.